Sermons Based on the Lectionary of the Syrian Orthodox Church

First Sunday After Christmas

Sermon / Homily on Matthew 2:13-23

"Celebrate the Christ-Child and Remember the Children"

by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson, Alberta, Canada

Scripture: Matthew 2:13-23

Many people have this far too romantic and idealistic notion that Christmas has
to be perfect. Such people have the tendency to dwell on the sentimental aspects
of Christmas as an escape from the harsh, cold realities of life in this world.
The truth of the matter is that the powers of evil were actively at work when
Christ was born and they are still actively at work today. Yes, even at
Christmas time, there are countless, untold stories of child abuse, torture and
even murder—most of these stories don't make it into the news. Today, our gospel
would have us focus on the stories of such children, just as we focus on the
Christ-Child. So, let me indulge you a little today, as we remember the far too
many children around the globe who have suffered and continue to suffer from the
powers of evil.

Gnanaguru Aravinthan, a Sri Lankan Tamil, was just 13 years old when his father
last saw him in September 1985. He had been sent home by his father to change
his clothes. He was then supposed to meet his father at a friend's house.
Gnanguru never arrived. Neighbours told the father they had seen his son in the
custody of soldiers from a nearby army camp. However, when he went to the camp
he was told the boy had not been arrested.

Nahaman Carmon, 13, was a street child in Guatemala City. Early on the morning
of March 4, 1990, he was sniffing glue, as a means of quelling hunger, with a
group of other street children. They were then surrounded by the police, who
poured glue over their heads and reportedly kicked Nahaman viciously. He was
later treated in the intensive care unit at the hospital and operated on for a
ruptured liver. He died on March 14 without regaining consciousness.

Three-year-old Clesio Pereira de Souza of Brazil was riding on his father's
shoulders when he was shot in the back by gunmen, who then shot his father in
the head at point-blank range. The killings were carried out by gunmen believed
to have been hired by men claiming the land cultivated by the local peasant
community. When his mother tried to report the case, the police chief alleged he
could not record it as he had no pen or paper.1

Far too many parents are wailing and lamenting today for their children and they
refuse to be consoled because they've lost their children to forced child labour
projects where the children are treated like slaves; they've lost their children
to terrorist militias who force young children to kill their own people or
themselves be killed if they refuse; they've lost their children to the makers
of pornography and child prostitution and sometimes the pimps kidnap and market
these children to another country so that the parents never see them again. Such
are the harsh, cold realities of the world today. In this sense, nothing much
has changed under the sun. Far too often it seems that the powers of evil are
winning.

If they had lived in another place, they would have been safe. But they lived in
El Salvador in the 1980s. They lived in one of the outlying villages, and the
guerrilla war raged in the communities around them and often in their own.

If they had lived in another place, they would have been safe. But they were not
safe, not even in their own homes. They were Christians, and their mom and dad
had a picture of Pope John Paul II on one wall and a crucifix on another. These
pictures made their home suspect.

If they had lived in another place, they would have been safe. In Mexico, their
lives would not have been in danger. In Spain or France, they would have been
safe. But in El Salvador in the 1980s, mothers, fathers, teens, children, even
babies were murdered. All Christians were suspected of being subversives, and
the killing of innocent children was a powerful signal to other Christians in
the area that their lives were also in danger. The death of the innocent ones
was used as a threat against their elders.

Martyrs. Innocent, young martyrs. All because Jesus was in their midst.2

In today's gospel, we learn that the celebration of Christmas in not so pretty,
romantic or idealistic. Rather, we learn through this divine drama in three acts
that life in this world can be very dangerous. Life in this world can be cruel.
Life in this world can be subject to evil plots, schemes and acts orchestrated
by power hungry people who themselves are possessed by evil and rely on evil to
protect their power and status.

In the first act of this divine drama, God speaks to Joseph in a dream through
an angel, a messenger of God, commanding him to: "Get up, take the child and his
mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about
to search for the child, to destroy him." WOW! What a message! No romantic or
idealistic picture of Christmas here! Rather, we have the harsh, cold reality of
a tyrant ruler, Herod, who is determined to shed innocent blood. He's doing
everything possible to kill the Christ-Child. According to Jewish historian,
Josephus, Herod was an extremely cruel man, who seems to of had no problems
ruling by evil means. …Herod ordered the execution of three of his sons (even
Caesar in Rome is reported to have said it was safer to be Herod's pig than
Herod's son); and at his burial, one member of every family was to be slain so
that the nation might really mourn.3 However, Herod did not manage to kill
Jesus. Joseph, Mary and Jesus fled to Egypt and lived there as refugees until
after it was safe to return back to the Promised Land, after Herod had died, in
fulfillment of the prophecy of Hosea 11:1, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."

I wonder what life was like for Joseph, Mary and Jesus in Egypt. After all,
there was the history, along with its memories of Israel in Egyptian slavery. It
may have been risky to go back to Egypt. Would they as refugees be safe there?
Or would they be giving up one oppressive ruler for another oppressive ruler?
Could Joseph really trust God's messenger and the message? What would life be
like in Egypt? Could they adjust to life as refugees in a land where their
ancestors were slaves? Were they destined to be slaves like their ancestors?
Such may have been Joseph's thoughts as he set out for Egypt. If only there were
more dreams like Joseph's. If only there were more messengers of God instructing
poor, vulnerable people in the world today. If only there were more refugees
finding safe places to flee to and live for a time. If only there were more
innocent lives saved—especially the lives of children.

As the second act of our divine drama unfolds, we are told that Herod was
infuriated when he learned that he had been tricked by the wise men. So "he sent
and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or
under." According to Matthew, this fulfilled the nightmare, tragic prophecy of
Jeremiah 31:15, which warned: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and
lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled,
because they are no more." There are far too many Rachels in our world today.
There are far too many mothers of children who were innocent and have been
brutally abused, tortured and killed. As some of you may know, to lose a child
is one of the most difficult losses, the most tragic of deaths that we can face.
How much more difficult it must be if one loses a child by evil means. How might
we as followers of Jesus have compassion on the Rachels of today? Might we share
the love of Christ with them by walking with them in their wailing and
lamentation? Perhaps we can be God's messengers for such parents.

In the third act of the gospel's divine drama today, once again Joseph has two
more dreams and God's messenger speaks to him, instructing him first of all that
the tyrant Herod has died and now it's safe to return back to Israel. And, in
the second dream, Joseph was warned not to settle in Judea, where Herod's son
Archelaus now ruled, and was almost as cruel as Herod. Rather, Joseph was
instructed to go to Nazareth in the district of Galilee and live with Mary and
Jesus there.

This third act of the divine drama reminds us that the Herods of this world do
not prevail. Sooner or later they lose their power. Sooner or later they die.
Today, as we remember the Christ-Child and the danger he was in, and his flight
into Egypt as a refugee; we also pause and remember today all of the children in
this world who have been or who are right now being abused, tortured, murdered
or living somewhere as refugees. We remember too the parents of these children.
One day, these children and their parents shall be first in the kingdom of
heaven. One day they shall be healed and restored completely from their
sufferings and their grief. One day when the Christ-Child shall become King of
kings and Lord of lords, all tyrants; all the Herods of this world shall be no
more. One day King Jesus shall destroy all evil powers completely and rule
eternally in perfect peace and love. And that's worth celebrating during this
season of Christmas and every season! Amen.

Notes:

1 Cited from a letter I received written by Paul Bentley, former President,
Amnesty International, Canada Section, English Speaking, 1990.